Peak of Desire Ch. 08

*Huge thanks for the feedback and votes, guys. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for your continued interest!*

Following a thirty minute drive, they arrived in the city of Venice Beach, a waterfront district located on the westside of Los Angeles. Known for its bizarre boardwalk, eclectic atmosphere and house lined canals, the city was a hub for all things unique and artistic.

As they approached a gated parking lot that was located behind Cody's apartment, he pushed a button on a remote control that was clipped to the windshield visor. The gate parted to let them through, and after steering the truck into a space, he put it in park and they both got out.

They strolled hand in hand to a warehouse style building, with a concrete façade which was painted a dark gray color. As they reached the rear of the apartment, he punched in a code on the security keypad, and the door emitted a buzzing noise.

He swung the door open to let her in first, then walked in behind her, guiding her down a cement floored hallway. They reached a wide elevator, and a few seconds after he pressed the button, the doors parted to let them in. Once they reached Cody's floor, he led her down a short hallway toward his apartment, where he slid his key in and unlocked it.

The door opened to reveal a relatively large loft, with exposed wooden beams and metal framed square windows which stretched floor to ceiling. Iron stairs which led up to the sleeping area gave the living space a strong industrial feel, and ceilings which stretched fifteen feet high provided the feeling of unobstructed freedom.

After flipping the suspended lights on, Cody tossed his keys on the entryway table, then headed for the open kitchen, which flowed seamlessly into the living room. "You want a drink?"

"Sure, what do you have?"

As he reached the fridge he pulled open the door, then bent down to have a look inside. "Pineapple juice, beer, water..." He reached in to grab something from the back of the top shelf, then brought it out for her to see. "I have one bottle of coffee soda left. If you want it, it's yours."

"Caffeine *and* sugar? I'll be up all night if I drink that."

"Yeah, that's the idea." His lips tilted into a crooked grin.

"Okay, i'll give it a try."

There was a hissing noise as he popped the cap off, then he headed to where she was standing and gave her the beverage. "Wrap your lips around that, and see how you like it."

She encircled her palm around the chilled bottle, then brought it up to her lips to have a taste. Sweet with a strong coffee flavor, it tasted quite delicious, and she followed the first sip up with a second.

"I'll take that as a sign you're enjoying it." He gave her a pleased look, then said, "Hang tight while I go to the bathroom."

She watched him head off down a narrow hallway, then she began to casually amble around the room. Drawn to the vibrant color of the exposed brick walls, she reached a hand out to touch them, slowly sliding her palm against the cool surface. Noticing a few polaroids lined up on the mantle of the fireplace, she went over to have a look. Immediately zeroing in on one in particular, she saw it was a snapshot of two women.

The female on the right had long glossy hair, full lips, and striking angular features which reminded her a lot of Cody's. The other lady in the picture had an exotic look to her, and it was clear she was a mixture of various races. Ethnically ambiguous, she had tawny skin and big, doe shaped eyes. Jet black hair framed her oval shaped face, and her lips were curled into a dazzling smile.

Standing directly next to her was Cody, with his arm slung over her shoulder and a goofy grin on his face. He looked to be giddily happy, and she found herself curious as to what his relationship was with this other woman. She quickly scanned the other photos on the mantle, which consisted of various other snapshots that Cody had taken with friends, as well as a few of him attending family gatherings.

Turning her back to the mantle, she sauntered toward an espresso colored suede couch and sat down it, tucking a leg beneath her as she rested her back against the arm of the sofa. A Navajo style throw blanket with a terra cotta red, cream and black geometric pattern was stretched out against the back of the couch, and she coasted her palm against the fabric, enjoying the feel of it beneath her hand.

There was the sound of Cody's footsteps against the hardwood floor, then she felt the couch dip as he took a seat beside her. Mirroring her tucked up leg position, he rested a hand against her bare thigh.

Noticing her admiration of the blanket, he said, "Nice, isn't it?"

She gave a nod. "Very. Is it handmade?"

"Yep. My mom, who's an expert weaver, made it. The skill was passed down to her from my grandma, who learned it from her own mother."

"Impressive work."

Cody took hold of her hand and threaded his fingers through hers, tenderly clasping her soft, smaller hand in his large, calloused one. They contentedly held hands, resting them against the fabric of the blanket as their eyes met in a lingering stare. It was one of those moments when silence stretched on, and yet she didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

She'd only felt this way with a few people in her life, and actually found it a good sign when someone could enjoyably sit in complete silence with her. Cody's other hand, which was positioned on her thigh, was sliding along her soft skin with a stimulating touch. Suddenly remembering the photos on the mantle, she decided to inquire about his family.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"One sister, no brothers. You?"

"I'm an only child."

"Ever wish you had a sibling?"

"I almost did. My mom had a boy four years after I was born, but he died at birth."

"Sorry to hear."

"Yeah, I guess sometimes those things happen." She let a few moments pass before speaking again. "There's a picture of you with two women on the mantle of your fireplace. Is the one with long black hair your sister?"

"Yep, that's her. We took that photo a few years back, during a trip to Window Rock."

"Where's that?"

"In Arizona. It's not far from a city named Lukachukai, which is where I grew up."

"So what made you come out here?"

"The girl I was dating at the time, she was the one who suggested it. I figured why not, so we packed our stuff, drove out to L.A., and I've been living here ever since."

"You ever miss home?"

"Sure, I miss the people I grew up around, and I especially miss my mom and grandparents."

"I imagine you're close to them. Must be hard for you, being so far away."

"Yeah, it can be. But at least I'm still relatively close, so I'm able to drive out and visit them pretty regularly."

"Well that's good." She took a languid sip of her soda. "The girl who's in the picture with you and your sister...is she the one you moved to L.A. to with?"

He gave a light chuckle. "No, that's Mia. She's a good friend of mine. Actually she was one of the first people I met when I arrived in L.A."

"You've been friends for awhile, then. You must be pretty close."

"Yeah, she's a pretty interesting person. The only female gear head I've met."

"She fixes cars?"

"And rock climbs. She's not too bad at it, either."

"Sounds like a pretty cool girl." She studied Cody for a few moments, then jokingly said, "Actually she sounds a little too interesting."

"No need to be jealous. Trust me on that."

"Oh I'm not. Only curious."

"About?"

"She's into rock climbing just like you, and she's definitely an attractive girl. Not to mention you've been friends for many years. So how have you two not hooked up?"

"One word. Lesbian."

"Oh. Well I guess that's a pretty good reason then, isn't it?"

He snickered, then said, "Even if she was into men, we could never work out as a couple."

"Why not?"

"We're alike in too many ways. Not to mention we both have dominating personalities, so that would just create a horrible clash."

"I guess you've got a good point there."

"I think you'll like her, though. I'm sure she'll like you." He gave her a little smile.

Erica rolled her eyes, then said, "Just because she's a lesbian, doesn't mean she'll like me in *that* way."

"Oh, she will." His lips curved further upward.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're thinking something dirty?" There was a playful tone to her voice.

"Maybe it's cause you have a naughty imagination." He slid his hand along her leg until it met with the junction of her thighs, then he began gently rubbing the moist heat beneath her denim shorts. "You act all shy sometimes, but underneath it all you're quite a naughty girl."

His eyes drifted to the bottle of soda she was holding, and after gently grabbing it from her hands, he set it on the coffee table in front of the couch. Then he grabbed hold of her hips and coaxed her onto his lap.

"You're the naughty one." She sat straddling him, glancing deep into his eyes as she returned his gaze of intensity with one of her own.

Cody offered a crooked smile. "So when am I gonna get that massage you promised me?" He cupped her chin in his palm, then lightly grazed her lips with his thumb.

"I wasn't aware I made a promise."

"Trying to make me beg for it, huh?"

An expression of amusement crossed her features. "That'd be a first for you."

He gave a light chuckle. "Or we could just skip the massage and..." His voice drifted off as he moved his hand southward.

As his fingers met with the juncture between her thighs, she exhaled a sigh of pleasure. Her body yearned deeply for him, but emotionally the time wasn't right just yet. It wasn't about trying to be a 'good girl' either, because she'd never followed the so-called rules.

She did, however, want to protect her heart, and felt that waiting a little longer would give her more time to see just where this relationship was going. Cody looked questioningly at her, his eyes full of hope as he silently waited for her to give him a signal.

"It'd be a shame to skip the massage," she seductively said. "I've been told I'm very skilled with my hands."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm."

She slid her tongue against the pad of his lips, and as he parted his mouth, she slid her wet appendage inside. They engaged in a devouring kiss, tongues colliding as their lips moved with abandon. When their passionate embrace came to an end, Cody was first to speak.

"Let's take this upstairs, so you can massage me on the bed."

She nodded, then slid off his lap and allowed him to lead the way to the iron staircase. Once they reached the elevated sleeping area, he adjusted the dimmer switch on the wall, filling the room with soft lighting. Then he began to disrobe, keeping his gaze pinned on her the entire time he was doing it.

She took a seat on the bed, watching with eager eyes as he peeled his shirt off to reveal the hard smoothness of his chest. His hands then drifted southward to undo the button on his jeans, and after tugging them down his legs, he kicked them off his feet, then removed his boxer shorts.

Her eyes traveled over the expanse of his leanly muscled body, feasting on the pure masculinity of his form. Years of rock climbing had given him a perfectly toned frame, with nicely developed biceps, a taut, flat abdomen, and strong, hard thighs.

Although he wasn't erect, he wasn't completely limp either, and she found herself gazing appreciatively at his well-built manhood. As he walked toward her, she locked her eyes into his, completely enraptured by his commanding presence. Once he reached the bed, he climbed onto it and laid flat on his stomach, tucking his hands beneath his chin as he eagerly waited for her to join him.

After stripping down to her underwear, she got onto the bed, adjusting her body so that she was straddling him.

She pushed Cody's hair over his shoulders to fully expose his back, then said, "You have any oil?"

"There's a cabinet in the bedside table. You'll find a bottle there."

She leaned over the side of the bed and opened the small compartment, then reached inside to retrieve an unopened container of massage oil.

"Brand new bottle, huh? I'm guessing you just knew I was going to give you a massage."

A light chuckle passed his lips. "I figured I'd better be prepared, just in case."

Her lips tilted upward, and she removed the protective seal on the bottle, then set it down on the mattress. Deciding to start off with a cranial massage, she slipped her fingers into his silky hair, lightly caressing his scalp with the pads of her fingers. Although she couldn't see his face, she could definitely tell he was enjoying it, due to the sounds of gratification that slipped past his lips.

After a few minutes of massaging his head, she made her way down to the base of his cranium, lightly massaging the area where his neck bones met his skull, then moved her hands lower so that her palms were against his back.

Using one hand to retrieve the massage oil, she flipped the top up, then squirted some onto his back. A noise of contentment passed his lips as her palms slid across his skin, slowly moving upward to sweep across his shoulder blades. Her hands worked against him with a gentle thoroughness, kneading and prodding his toned flesh with admirable skill.

As she reached his lower back, she placed a palm over the back of her other hand, then began to move her hand in small circles, traveling up his back, and then down. She did this on one side of his spine and then the other, withdrawing throaty sounds of gratification from his lips.

She then began using her knuckles against his skin, lightly dragging them up to meet his shoulders, and then coasting them back down. Her pleasurable ministrations caused a rash of goose bumps to break out along his back, and she found herself pleased by the level of pleasure she was able to give him.

Her hands continued to masterfully manipulate him, and as she reached his cute little butt, she began to lightly knead it, following up with sensual caresses which earned her moans of appreciation from Cody. After spending a generous amount of time on his glutes, she continued downward to work his inner thighs, another spot on his body that she gave some extra attention to.

She spent a few solid minutes massaging his thighs, then gave him a light pat one of his ass cheeks. "Turn over and I'll do your front."

He eagerly flipped his body so that he was lying with his back against the mattress, then tucked his arms behind his head and stared up at her with an expression of pure contentment. "I must have really good karma to deserve an amazing woman like you."

She beamed from his compliment, then squirted some oil onto his chest. "I'm guessing you're enjoying the massage."

"It's beyond enjoyment."

The look of adoration he was giving her caused her to feel deeply treasured, spurring her to continue working her magic on him.

"Your hands...." A breathy sound escaped his lips as she coasted her palms against his torso, massaging every inch of his coppery skin. "The way you touch me is amazing."

"Feel good?"

"Oh yeah." His voice came out in a husky whisper, eyes half mast as he looked up at her.

He sleepily grinned at her. "You really wanna keep me awake, you can take that bra off and let me look at your tits."

"Ask nicely and maybe I will."

"Please take it off and let me stare at your beautiful breasts."

She halted her ministrations and reached up to unclasp her bra. After slipping her arms free of the straps, she tossed the flimsy fabric aside, where it landed on the floor.

"Mmm, nice." his eyes desirously wandered from one breast to the other, as if he couldn't decide which one to focus his attention on. "Did I ever tell you how gorgeous you are?"

"Are you talking to them, or to me?"

A light chortle exited his mouth. "You, of course. Although they are quite lovely, as well." A groan of pure enjoyment exited his mouth as she used rhythmic movements along his abdominal muscles. "You're damn sexy, you know that?"

Her mouth curved into a smile, eyes lowering to rest on the space between his thighs. His magnificent arousal jutted in the air, and as she stared at his erection, she noticed there was a large bead of precum which had sprouted from the slit of his cock head. Her mouth watered at the memory of his slightly salty, musky taste, and she found herself eager to slide her tongue along his warm, stiff length.

Her fingers began to manipulate the tender flesh of his inner thighs, gradually moving closer to his increasing erection. She came dangerously close to touching his fleshy sacks a few times, but always moved her fingers away before they could make contact.

"You are such a tease." A faint smile crept up his lips.

She cast a seductive look at him, using a gentle pressure to glide her hands across his pliant flesh. She continually built his desire until she was certain he could take no more, then grabbing the bottle of oil, she squirted some into her palm. One hand reached down to cup his balls, while the other encircled his shaft.

She started off by stimulating the swollen head of his penis, moving her thumb in a circular motion against the slit of his cock. Then she gave him a few pumps, twisting her wrists on the upstroke so that beads of precum were continually expelled. Cody gave a wanton groan, writhing beneath her as she used her other hand to play with his balls.

She watched as he removed his hands from behind his head, then wrapped them around her waist. His palms slid lazily along the curve of her hips, continuing their way upward until they reached her breasts. He cupped them in his hands, gently squeezing them in his broad palms, then ran his thumb over her peaks until they puckered beneath his ministrations.

She gave a moan, arching her back as she continually caressed his penis. Her nipples had always been very sensitive, so the lightest touch could bring about some very pleasurable sensations.

They continued to pleasure one another, maintaining unwavering eye contact the entire time. She gave him slow, languid tugs, maintaining an unhurried, yet steady pace that withdrew faint noises of pleasure from his lips.

After a few minutes of stroking him at that speed, his hips began to thrust upward in an attempt to create more friction, and she could tell from his shallow breathing that he was growing increasingly impatient with the torturously languid rhythm of her hand.

"Want me to stroke you quicker?" She asked in a soft, sensual voice.

He nodded in response, and as her hand sped up, he gave a carnal moan. His sounds of pleasure caused heat to flood her nether regions, and as his bucking movements grew more desperate, she knew he was at the verge of orgasm. Soon her hand was little more than a blur, and with a few more jerks of her hand, she brought him to the pinnacle of bliss.

His body spasmed, hips twitching as he released a delicious cry of ecstasy. A large stream of cum erupted from his shaft, landing hotly against her stomach. Her palm continued to manipulate him, milking him of every last drop, and once the last of his semen had been expelled, she released his deflating penis.

Spotting a box of Kleenexes on the bedside table, she reached over to grab a few, then cleaned the creamy fluid from off her stomach. Once that was done she wiped his shaft clean, then threw the tissue into a small wastebasket next to the bed.

She then contentedly stretched out on the bed beside him, lying on her back as she stared up at the exposed aluminum ducts which snaked across the ceiling.